ABSTRACT
Every year one-third of all food produced for human consumption is lost or wasted (FAO 2013). This wastage represents losses of valuable nutrients, energy and natural resources. At a global scale food wastage is also responsible for greenhouse gases (GHG) emissions comparable to those of the top ten GHG emitting countries in the world (FAO 2014), as well as contributing to food insecurity and posing ethical questions. How is it that the global food system leaves one in nine people malnourished or hungry and on the other hand wastes one-third of the food supplies? Food wastage represents an annual loss in economic value equal to USD 1 trillion across the global food supply chain (FAO 2013). The magnitude and complexity of the food waste problem has brought it to the forefront of the political agenda in most developed countries. This problem is expected to continue to grow, especially in developing countries, considering the likely changes in the food systems in these countries due to industrialisation, urbanisation and changes in diets and lifestyles (Garnett and Wilkes 2014).
